Canada's Meaghan Benfeito (behind) and Roseline Filion attend a training session for the women's synchronised 10m platform diving at the Aquatics Centre before the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games July 27, 2012.JORGE SILVA/Reuters
Canada's first day in the diving competition was a fruitful one. And on Tuesday, women's 10-metre synchronized pair Roseline Filion and Meaghan Benfeito will try to make it two medals in as many events.
Filion, 25, of Laval, Que., and Benfeito, a 23-year-old from Montreal, hope to challenge the Chinese, who have been unbeatable thus far and who have designs on winning all of the eight diving gold medals in London.
If their emotional involvement in urging teammates Jennifer Abel and Émilie Heymans to bronze in the three-metre synchro is any indication – their encouragements could be heard throughout the pool – they are primed for their moment.
Four years ago, the duo finished seventh at their first Olympics in Beijing. This time around, they've benefited from four full years together and put forth a strong 2011-12 World Cup season, in which they piled up a raft of podium finishes.
They ended the season ranked second in the world behind China's Chen Ruolin and Wang Hao.
"This is a much different feeling than in Beijing," Filion said recently. "This time, we're not just happy to be here."